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First Ever In-Person Interview Tips?
Graduated recently and have a final round interview in person this week. So far I've only ever done zoom/google meets virtual interviews, so I was wondering if anyone had some tips for in-person. Appreciate any help. This isn't for an IB, PE, ER role more entry level financial services.
Moving from MM SA to BB/EB FT
Went through 2024 SA recruiting, unfortunately didn't end up getting the offer I wanted. I do have a 2024 SA position lined up at a MM in NYC (think RJ, Lincoln, Piper). While I know the FT process can be an uphill battle, I wanted to know if there is anything I can do to set myself up well to get...
How to stand out as a non-target candidate for upcoming interview process with large firm
I was recently invited to begin the interview process for a highly lucrative entry-level analyst position focused on multi-asset portfolio strategy and analysis at a large asset management firm. This will be my seventh or eighth significant interview process, and despite recently graduating, I have...
Interviews after Superday?
Completed a superday and have now been invited back to do further interviews with additional team members - is this normal? Final interview scheduled for this "follow up" superday is a coffee chat with the team manager, whom I have already interviewed with favorably - is this all just a sanity check...
How to break into commercial real estate without the fluff
Breaking into a top brokerage as an investment sales analyst in NYC (think CBRE, JLL, Cushman, ES) was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I went to a non-target, didn't study finance or real estate, had no previous experience, was a career switcher and several years out of school, and lived...
Tips to Successfully Prepare for a One-Way Video Interview
The one-way interview is now becoming a standard hiring process. Big companies such as Apple, Amazon, Google, and Twitter have started hiring using one-way video interviews. While video interviews are becoming more common, they might become a bit stressful for first-time users. As you might expect,...
Off-Cycle Recruiting for Investment Banking
I graduated from a target public school in August of 2021 with two PE internships on my resume. Currently, I am recruiting full-time for investment banking analyst positions. But the issue that I am having is the only analyst positions that are posted on job boards by banks require 1-2 years of...
How to answer why are you interested in this team (corporate bonds) in interviews?
Hi, I will soon be graduating with a degree in economics. I don't have much of a background in finance, except one quant internship that I did, but I worked with equities during that internship. I have extensive technical experience. I am interviewing for a fintech role (not going into details due...
Interview prep/expectations for lateral hire (S&T)
Hi all, I’m a currently an analyst on a BB S&T desk in London and I have an interview in a couple days for an associate level opening at another BB desk. However I’m very unsure what I am supposed to do to prepare, all the resources or advice I’ve seen here is for IBD / PE / L/S Equity HF. At...
CRE Interview Office Acquisitions & Development Prep - No Prior Experience
Hi everybody, I have an interview coming up with with an institutional commercial real estate firm primarily engaging in large office acquisitions as well as development across the nation. This role I'll be interviewing for will be for an entry level analyst. I currently work in Wealth Management...
COVID-19 Networking Success! [A Must Read]
Hey there, all you cool cats and kittens, it's NetworkingNinja here, and it's story time. Background: East coast non-target. Third-year analyst at a west coast LMM PE shop. Below market pay, demanding hours, all-around toxic culture. Needless to say, I'm looking for new opportunities, especially...
CRE Community Interview Tips Thread
In reading the thread about why we mostly come back to WSO a reoccurring theme of "giving back" and helping people break in appreared. I thought we could centralize some general interview tips. Since I'm only a few years in, hopefully some of the senior guys in here can pitch in with what they've...
Credit Funds: Differing Skillsets
I'm currently at a buyside shop (bank) focused on broadly syndicated loans and looking to make a move to either a bigger shop with more career upside (a scalable CLO platform) or a more opportunistic credit platform (MM/BDC, junior debt, stressed/distressed) . I have had reasonable success getting...
Interviewing during the work day.... thoughts?
3-yrs into my current role, a FO corp. banking gig in a major city at a BB . I'm approaching that time in my career where I am looking for the next challenge, what does everyone think about leaving work for 2-3 hours to interview during the day at a diff firm (10-15min uber ride away)? I don't want...
Professional Learning Indicator (PLI)
Hello Monkeys, Recently I have been asked to take this PLI cognitive exam online (twice in the past 3 months, oddly enough). The questions are rather intuitive, but you only get 10 seconds per question and there are 50. Some of the questions are math problems, albeit easy, about as long as this post...
Due Dilligence on SA's
I've received an offer from a MM in New York for a summer analyst position (early, I know...they're the first I interviewed with). How extensive are the background checks done on summer analysts? I assume that the following will be checked: The job titles I have on my resumes. The dates of my past...
How to Come Off As More Dynamic and Enthusiastic
I'm someone who doesn't show a very large range of emotions when I'm talking. Some people describe me as calm, poised, relaxed, etc., but I'm realizing that people are not able to pick up on my enthusiasm and often think I'm uninterested. I've gotten the impression that I've even made people...
How much do banks really talk?
I've read all sorts of horror stories about banks (esp BBs) talking to each other, and I wonder if anyone has had any personal experiences to share and/or can attest to how true this really is.
CFO Increasing Earnings Interview Question
I've been asked this question a couple times in different contexts for research roles. What can the CFO of a company do to increase their earnings? I've been asked with respect to the financial statements (cash flow statement more often) and certain ratios like P/E ratio? What would be the best way...
Hedge Fund Interview - Final Stages
I am interviewing for a hedge fund analyst position with a PM who manages a $1bn book - I will be the only analyst and needless to say I am thrilled by the opportunity. Yesterday we went over my case study and HR called to say that the PM really liked me and that I am moving forward to meet with an...
Interviewing for Middle/Back Office Advice
Hi guys, I have a serious question about how to position myself and interview for a back/middle/office/operations (whatever you want to call it) role at an Asset Management firm. I spent a summer in equity research on the buy-side for a similar asset manager. Didn't receive an offer, and have had...
Should I call or email to follow up on an interview?
Before I left school for the holiday, interviewed for a part-time ER position and the person said he will "recommend extending me an offer" and get back to me by Christmas and "not leave me hanging." But right now he's doing exactly the opposite. It's almost Christmas and he still hasn't gotten back...
Even da Vinci Had to Interview
mod (Andy) note: "Blast from the past - Best of Eddie" - This one is originally from February 2010. If there's an old post from Eddie you'd like to see up again shoot me a message. I thought you guys might appreciate this. I came across this cover letter written by Leonardo da Vinci to a potential...
Asking for an introduction
I just met with not my manager, but my manager's manager. We just had a very informal talk that I set up about life and career path and progression and what his job entailed. He seems to like me. I mentioned several times (and he knows) that I want to enter consulting after graduation. I even had a...
Ugly Women Land More Interviews
mod (Andy) note: "Blast from the past - Best of Eddie" - This one is originally from December 2010. If there's an old post from Eddie you'd like to see up again shoot me a message. I have a feeling this is going to spark some controversy, but a new study conducted by Ben Gurion University shows that...
Is it acceptable to ask about corporate culture in a less than 10 person company?
What do you think?
How to phone interview like a BSD
Looks like I took part in roughly 80 phone interviews during b-school, plus probably more that didn’t make it to my calendar. Lot of practice. A little over 40 hours straight of the old smile-and-dial. Since we’re headed into recruiting season now, thought I’d share what I learned. Standard...
Is cold emailing a former interviewer after about 2-3 years better than cold emailing an unknown person?
Has anyone tried this, and is it better to email an MD level person than an associate level person? Also what is the best way to go about this?
Same interviewers from 2 years ago
I am interviewing for an investment consulting gig. In addition to the guy that initially phone screened me there will be 2 other people who will join in the in-person interview. These two I have interviewed with 2 years ago at the same company but for a slightly different job which I didn't get an...
Interviewing for Success: Can You Have Too Much of a Good Thing and Interviewing Like an ESPN Analyst
Where does one draw the line between an outgoing, optimistic, charismatic smooth talker, and a brash conman with PHB syndrome? Is it ok to rant ESPN style or does one need to give shorter answers?
A year and still looking . . . help me troubleshoot?
So, I've been looking for almost a year. I am an M&A associate and was laid-off from my bank (a middle market boutique) last year when they went through a significant downsizing. It was not performance related and I have strong references. I was an associate for 15-16 months. Before that I was a...
Showing internship work in an interview? Good Idea?
I'm going to interview for commercial and corporate banking spots with three of the big guys and a few big regional banks in Texas. In my internship, I created a lot of performance reports in SNL for the bank...would there be any benefit to showing one or two in an interview? I mainly want to show...
Answering technicals in interview: Confidence / Humble?
I think most people on this forum will say to answer questions confidently in your interviews. But let's say the interviewer asks "do you know this XXX accounting/finance concept?" What's the best approach to handle this kind of situation? You want to sound confident you know your stuff but not so...
Would You Hire This Person?
You’re sitting in the head trader’s chair after the markets close, looking through resumes for the next (newest) member of your desk. The candidates all look good to you: excellent experience with strong track records, good stories about their determination and drive to be a great trader, plenty...
Why does HR do interviews?
I never understood why HR does the interviews? I guess when you go in for the 1 on 1 interview most of the time you are meeting with a senior manager or someone who will make the decision who they want to hire. But some interviews I have had I have actually been interviewed by an HR rep as well as...
Internship hunting is like dating...
So I've finished interviewing with a few really great positions that I was interested in, but unfortunately no dice. What I noticed was I tried too hard and got nervous during all the interviews for the ones I liked. The one's I'm less excited about I stay chill and end up progressing. Anybody else...
Are offers ever given out after rejections?
had a superday about a week ago and was told by a few people that there would be a really fast turnover. by really fast..i thought this meant like 24 hours to a few days max. it's not a bb , so i figured 3 days would be the absolute longest. i knew a few other people interviewing, and 2 of them have...
Should I talk about taking the GMAT when interviewing?
I am currently employed in a non-quantitative field and am starting the process of trying to move into IB . A year and a half ago I took the GMAT and got a pretty good overall score (740/97th percentile), but not a phenomenal quant score (45/72nd percentile) -- overall score was boosted considerably...
The View from Under the Bus
This is something I've been meaning to bring up for several weeks now, but other topics kept taking precedence. Jerome Kerviel, the disgraced SocGen trader who was recently sentenced to two years in prison and a €5 billion fine, granted an interview with Der Spiegel which is required reading for...
Wall Street Mentors Presents: Scott Morris on the Interviewing Process at Goldman Sachs
Chris Carey of Wall Street Mentors sits down with the Scott Morris to discuss the interviewing process and what he qualities he would look for in candidates. Scott is the former CEO of the Boston Options Exchange and Managing Director at Goldman Sachs. Scott is the author of Polished , which is a...
Interviewing in One Group to land an Interview in another Group?
Could interviewing at a group you aren't as interested in be a good strategy to break into a bank and land interviews in other groups you are more interested in (assuming you are trying your best not a prick about it)? For example suppose you are offered an interview in ECM and upon showing up you...
Soft Skills for Hard Times
Soft skills often go unnoticed. Many ignore and ridicule the significance of soft skills. I am often one of those people, but having lived and worked all over the world I cannot ignore the magic of simply... Being liked . Two quotes from my youth that I'd like to share with you guys. Neither was...
Lateral Interview Question
Currently a 2nd year analyst at a BB which is not doing that great. Have a lateral interview coming up for a stronger (top 3) BB for the same industry group. Reason I want to switch is that my firm is losing people and I'm not getting as strong experience as I'd like. Also exit opps from here are...
Both too old and too young - Can't break into finance
Hope I can get some advice cause my job search has gone on for far longer than I had expected. Have still been actively searching for the better part of the year to no avail. My background is as follows: - Recently graduated from one of the top quantitative finance masters programs - Did undergrad...
mock interview practice partner over the phone or meet up in nyc
Does anybody want to practice mock interviews for ibanking? It can be either over the phone/skype or meet in person if you live in NYC . PM me if interested.
Wall Street hiring: If '07 was a 10, and '08/'09 were a 2 or 1...
In terms of hiring, if in 2007 it was easy to get a job (say, a 10 out of 10) and 2008/2009 were absolute shit (say, a 1 or 2 out of 10), where are we now? I'm speaking across the board, from prop desks to banking groups and more. Those of you who say we're back at a 5, I don't believe it. Boutique...
INTERVIEW ADVICE - Should I reach out again?
Hello Fellow Monkeys, as we get ready for the weekend and our MDs start streaming out the door I am in need of some advice. Background: I had an interview last week with a Real Estate PE firm in Mexico City. Interview was intense, Modeling, 2 Case Studies, Spanish Test and 8 separate interviews with...
Jefferies S&T Interviewing and Recruitment
I am a long time reader but a new subscriber to WSO . I have to say that this forum has been the most beneficial source of information that I have ever found when it comes to all things financial.
I'm assuming I didn't get the job?
I went through final round interviews at a small consulting firm two weeks ago (on Monday, Valentine's day) and was told by the analyst (whom I've been in touch with throughout the recruiting/interviewing process) that they'd let me know about offers by the end of the week. So, naturally, I got...
How Bad This I Mess This one up...
Just had an interview for a research associate spot (thought it was going to be junior associate but it ended up being the real deal full fledged associate) from 2 analysts, the ceo and md... First of all I don't know about some of your interviews but i;ve never had a 4 on 1 before (no pun intended)...
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